


As the Wyrm Turns

by Cryptkin



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Dande | Leon/Sonia (mentioned), Multi, On Hiatus, Rurina | Nessa/Sonia (mentioned) - Freeform, Slow Build, Slow Burn, The rating will change when I settle on the direction this takes, Work In Progress, Yarrow | Milo/Rurina | Nessa (implied), death of the author gamefreak make everyone date edition, everyone else is there too its just too many characters to focus on, hey im adding more tags look at that, let me live, polyamory (mentioned)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:54:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26335213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cryptkin/pseuds/Cryptkin
Summary: Raihan is struggling with his goals and aspirations. When Nessa suggests a vacation to help everyone unwind, he finds it to be more stressful than he anticipated.
Relationships: Kibana | Raihan/Nezu | Piers
Comments: 10
Kudos: 59





	1. Why live in the shrubbery when you could have a throne?

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I played shield all the way thru now and I'm officially in too deep. Cheers for the hell I've wrought on myself.

“You,” Nessa said, plopping herself down next to Raihan on the bench and rousing him from a daydream, “are tense.”

Raihan replied with a noncommittal, “yeah?” and slouched himself against the wall behind them. He wouldn’t call it tense, himself. Thoughtful, maybe. Contemplative. Ever since Galar had gotten itself a new champion, Raihan had a lot to mull over. He felt somewhat ashamed of how boastful he was, and yet was put through the wringer by a young teenager. Now he had to contend with no longer having a goal of defeating Leon the champion, but Leon the...regular trainer. It felt weird on his tongue and he scrunched his nose up to get the taste out of his mouth.

“--even listening to me? Hello? Raihan.” Nessa’s voice cut through his inner monologue and Raihan finally responded properly.

“What? What is it?” he asked as if he weren’t guilty of ignoring his fellow coworker. Nessa only replied with a furrowed look, and Raihan said (a little too meekly), “I’m listening now, promise. What did you say?”

Nessa slouched alongside Raihan now, exhaling a deep sigh and stretching out her legs in a very unladylike manner and popping her back. “You need a vacation. We all do, but you especially. Did you know you didn’t take a picture of your match once that entire round?” The wide, surprised eyes prompted Nessa to continue. “Something’s been on your mind for months now, and we’re all worried. Me, Leon, Sonia, I think even the Champ has started to notice you’re slipping.”

Raihan rubbed at the back of his neck, taking in Nessa’s concern to heart but unable to commit to a reply. “Maybe.”

“No ‘maybe’s! A vacation sounds nice, actually.” Nessa playfully punched the dragon trainer in the arm. “The off season is around the corner...I have some strings I could pull to get everyone a nice getaway vacation...Think about it. No worries, no responsibilities, a few weeks of consistent weather and water that doesn’t freeze your bollocks off when you wade in.” She sighed dreamily, back of her hand to her forehead as she painted a picture of somewhere tropical on sandy beaches, or a quiet Kalos countryside with a nice glass of champagne. “Adults only, of course.”

“Cheeky. Who would take care of the place back home if we went on this vacation, eh?” He had a point, but Nessa wasn’t going to let Raihan weasel his way out of this. Her cheeks puffed out indignantly.

“I’ll take care of everything. You just get ready in a month, okay? No ‘but’s either, that’s final. You need this, you know you do. Let me treat you. Think of it as a birthday gift?” Nessa’s doe eyes and batted lashes were almost too much to bear.

Raihan grumbled something under his breath but relented. “You’re right. Besides, when’s the last time everybody got together as friends and not…” He gestured around him. “You know. At a match.”

The sitting room to the pitch was fairly abandoned. When it had fallen to the last match of the night, the place was downright abandoned, and for good reason: everyone would rather be in the crowd, cheering their heads off and not crammed into a room like wishiwashi in a tin can. Often Raihan would come back to a dark locker room as the Champion waved their thanks to the crowd, quietly brood over his loss and re-strategize for next time, and be out before anyone noticed he wasn’t in the group. He’d show up just in time for personal congratulations and no one was the wiser. Except Nessa, apparently, who had purposely hung back this time to corner Raihan.

She regarded the room in quiet contemplation, soaking in the question. “Not ever, it feels,” she settled, standing up with a start. “I mean, yeah, we do, but not _everyone_. You and I hang out from time to time, and I know how much closer the champ has gotten to Marnie and Bede since they all showed up for their gym challenge...Milo, Kabu and I sometimes see each other, just because, but in a bar? At a non-sponsored cocktail party? Hanging out at someone’s place for dinner? Just goofing off, all of us?” Nessa shook her head and offered an arm to Raihan. “Come on, it’s getting late. I’m sure the crowd is just wrapping up its cheers to the Champion, and we don’t wanna miss our own congratulations.”

Raihan hesitated taking Nessa’s hand, warming up to the idea of a vacation. He didn’t know what she had in mind but whatever it was, it would have been leagues better than where they were right now. He smiled broadly, mind made up.

“Good! We’ll all have fun. I even have somewhere in mind already.” Nessa continued to chatter about her planning even through the noise of the crowd as they waded through the people to catch up with the rest of the gym leaders. Her bubbling emotion was refreshing to see, and Raihan chuckled at the needed push from her to get out of his funk.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

* * *

The twelve hour flight from Galar to Alola was murder on the body, and when dusky sunset greeted the group, everyone seemed to exclaim at once.

“So beautiful!”  
“Glad to be out of that cramped compartment,”  
“Which island is this?”  
“I can’t wait to try all the food here!”  
“I need a nap,”  
“Nessa, how’d you pull all this off?”

The chatter continued, with Nessa taking the lead and stretching her arms out to the scenery. “Welcome to Alola, everyone!” She seemed the most excited of everyone, ready to drag the party across the islands for every nook and cranny full of fun she could find.

Most everyone invited had agreed to the trip: Opal stated she was too frail to travel and preferred solid ground to boot, therefore politely declining. The child-leaders Allister, Marnie, and Bede weren’t invited for obvious reasons, nor was the Champion. Bea declined on the basis of needing to take care of things back home. Leon, Piers and Sonia, despite no longer being a part of the Galar cup, were in attendance though, and rounded the group back up to a staggering nine people. Everything seemed top shape.

Raihan noticed that despite nine people leaving the port, only eight were headed for the hotel. Piers held back, which in turn made Raihan hold back as he questioned the other.

“What’cha doing, mate? Hotel’s this way,” he smiled, gesturing the group slowly shrinking out of view.

Piers, in turn, shook his head. “Ain’t goin’ that way. I got somewhere else to be.” When he noticed Raihan about to protest with a ‘but Nessa,” he continued. “Nessa already knows I got a place here to crash. I’m not bein’ rude by turning her down. I’ll catch up with you lot later.” He turned on his heel and offered a half-hearted wave backwards before ambling down the pier to catch a boat to one of the other islands.

“Alright, see ya, mate,” Raihan said to the empty space where Piers once stood. He shouldn’t, but for some reason he felt hurt. Maybe he misinterpreted what Nessa had planned out of this trip, but without Piers at the hotel with the rest of them were they all truly together?

He shook away the nagging thought and ran to catch up with the rest of them.

At the hotel, and once everyone had settled into their respective rooms, a few members took to the hotel bar to unwind. Sonia, Leon, Nessa and Raihan huddled in a booth near the back for privacy and gossip, with Sonia and Leon on one side and Nessa and Raihan on the other.

“Nessa, this is the best thing you could have done for us, cheers for that,” Sonia gushed, hands clasped over her friend’s in gratitude. Leon nodded in agreement but didn’t add much, instead focusing on Raihan’s slightly sour expression.

“What’s eating you?” He asked, nudging Raihan’s leg with his foot in concern. “You seem distracted. Is this place so breathtaking you’ve got no words? That’s unlike you.”

Nessa stole a quick glance at the men before continuing her chat with Sonia in a silent ‘I’m listening to you,’ gesture, as if they were being judged. Leon didn’t seem to notice, but it made Raihan feel small for already being so moody on a vacation that had barely started.

“Oh, it’s nothing!” he bluffed, waving Leon off and fiddling with the paper label of his beer bottle. “I was just surprised Piers didn’t join us is all, considering this was a group thing, yeah?”

Leon leaned back in his seat in understanding. “Yeah, now that you mention it, I didn’t see Piers when we all checked in. Where is that chap? I know he’s pretty closed off and a lone wolf but this is taking it a tad bit extreme.”

“I can answer that,” Nessa interjected, “Piers said he had an old friend in the region that he wanted to catch up with, and is gonna stay the month there on Ula’Ula, but he’ll show up with the rest of us for the days.” She didn’t seem bothered in the slightest, so why should Raihan or Leon or whoever wanted to comment. “Saved me hotel room expenses so I didn’t say no.”

Leon nodded again with an, “ah, I see!” and left it at that, but Raihan didn’t fully accept the answer. “Who?”

“Dunno. Some bloke. Look, Rai, I didn’t pry into it. It’s not my business and neither is it yours. Just enjoy the vacation, mate.” Nessa let go of Sonia’s hand to place a comforting touch on Raihan’s arm. “We’re all still together, we’ll all have fun, I promise.” The touch turned to a shove when she saw Raihan’s eyes roll back comically. “I mean it. No broody, grumpy, philosophical or existential crises this whole month, got it?”

Raihan laughed throatily, taking a swig of his drink before he agreed. “Got it.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

* * *

Instructions were to pack for nice, warm, sunny weather with plenty of days spent on beaches or in tropical jungle areas. Raihan complied to a degree. Most of his “warm, sunny weather” was for Galar weather. Or battles. Not…

“Hey, if you forgot trunks, I brought a spare,” Leon offered, “but Nessa did say expect swimming.”

Raihan averted his gaze. “No offense, mate, I’m flattered you’d offer but I don’t think I’d fit. Maybe I’ll strip to my pants. What’s the difference, right?” He shrugged and continued. “I don’t exactly swim in Galar, so it completely slipped my mind to buy anything for Alola. Happens to the best of us.”

Leon, with his hands on his hips, surveyed the surroundings. Nessa had managed to snag a private section of the beach for an entire month, not that they’d use it the whole time, but the gesture was grand. She really wanted everyone to have fun, didn’t she? Still, that wouldn’t be helpful if Leon’s greatest rival and arguably his best friend wouldn’t be able to experience the beach to its fullest.

“Pants’ll just go see-thru, then what?” Leon pointed out. At Raihan’s cheeky grin, he huffed through his nose. “I think there’s a store down the lane there. Maybe if you took Sonia or Nessa, they’d--”

Raihan put his hands up defensively, chuckling. “I get the picture. Only joshing you, anyway. I was planning to check out the strip for a bit. This is the perfect excuse to get myself acquainted. Let Alola know the Raihan brand.”

Leon’s brows raised incredulously as he watched his friend strut off like he owned the place, only to stuff hands into the pockets of his track jacket and shuffle away into the crowd when he thought no one was looking.

L: Sonny?   
S: Dandy Lion?   
L: Smths rly eatin Rai   
S: Nessa said he’ll unwind after a bit.   
S: He’s been like this for a while, luv.   
L: How long’s a while?   
S: Since the champion won.   
L: I mean so am I   
S: Different reasons.   
S: Don’t worry about it.   
S: He’ll let us know when he wants to talk.   
L: Yeah   
L: Ty   
L: Save u a spot @ luau?   
S: You’re buying. ;)

Quietly, Leon pocketed his phone and smiled at the light banter he and Sonia had. It did ease his worries slightly, but as he scanned the crowd to try and see a glimpse of Raihan before he was swallowed up for good that concern creeped back into his mind. What reasons?

* * *

On the boardwalk, every store was a swimsuit store, it felt, and Raihan already had his fill of patterns and cuts and designer labels for one lifetime before settling himself on picking something from the next building he walked into or not at all. And if it was not at all, Nessa would eat him alive.

As he rifled through the displays on the back wall, Raihan caught a familiar voice distantly from a dressing room stall, replying to-- well, she stuck out like a sore thumb, so there was no way she could have been an attendant.

“I just think if that smarmy bastard had anythin’ good to say to me he would’a said it years ago,” Piers' voice complained, tossing over a discarded shirt. The girl caught it expertly and hid a snort of laughter behind her hand.

“Still as bitter as I remember you, I see.”

“Plum, love, you know I’m right.”

Raihan ducked behind a carousel of clothes, trying to hide his massive frame the best he could so as not to be caught eavesdropping. Plum? Who’s she? Is this why Piers didn’t want to be at the hotel? He has a girlfriend or something? This is news to him. Though, any information about Piers’ social life would be news to Raihan. That man kept his secrets locked up tighter than a safety box.

“I know you are, but you don’t even wanna visit him? He’s family.” The Plum girl shifted on her feet and looked sympathetically at the door, willing Piers to come out. “You know how big on family everyone here is.”

Raihan caught a choking sound in his throat when Piers finally exited the stall, looking annoyed at his supposed partner. Piers looked somehow a hell of a lot different than when Raihan normally saw him, despite the general attire being wholly his brand. The tank was distressed, the dropped armholes and reached his thighs. The shorts, assuming he was wearing any, were hidden under the fabric. Under the tank was another, more form-fitting cutoff, just enough to leave imagination to wander. 

“Piss off with that. How’s this look? Any more palpable t’yer delicate sensibilities?” He was laying his accent on thick, the same as he always did when sarcastic. 

Plum pressed a hand to her cheek and tilted her head, just as sarcastic. “Pretty as a posey. It’s a lot cooler than what you came with, anyway. What were you thinking with all that pleather and denim? Here, of all places?”

Piers swatted her away as she descended upon him with her prodding and pulling, but he was smiling, genuinely. Raihan furrowed his brow and thought to himself about how Piers didn’t even give the group a chance at that happiness. He just scampered off to hell knows where, now with this girl on his arm and-- is his makeup different too? It kind of matches the girl’s now, but more subtle. Man, he must be head over heels for this bird, Raihan thought. Still, he couldn’t help but find it to be relieving, seeing the former gym leader out of his shell of aloofness and more relaxed.

He had to duck back into the clothes carousel to not be spotted as the pair left the back to pay for their purchase and leave. They were joking and laughing and chattering idly to each other and it looked so natural that Raihan briefly thought for a moment he was imagining a different person, and that wasn’t Piers. Piers was never that outwardly expressive.

Long after they left, Raihan peeled himself away from the clothes selection, quickly buying the first pair of swimming trunks in his size and high-tailing it back to the hotel to ask what the  _ hell _ was that he just saw.


	2. I'm young and rich and stupid, easy prey for Cupid

“--and he was smiling, and she was smiling, and they were both looking so happy. Did any of you know he had a girlfriend?”

Nessa could hardly follow Raihan, much less understand why this was a big deal to him. She opted for silence, slowly reaching over to grab at Milo’s drink and steal a sip. Leon and Sonia looked at him as though he had grown multiple heads from hanging out with a hydreigon for too long.

“You alright?” Leon finally asked, urging Raihan to sit down. “I thought you were going to get swimmers, not spy on our friend like a loon.” Raihan merely waved him off before collapsing on the bench. The shopping bag was held up as a ‘gotcha’ and Leon backed off enough to let the other explain himself.

Raihan made a frustrated noise because even he didn’t understand why he was so worked up about this. Why would he be? “Maybe just the fact he shrugged us off without even letting anyone know what he was doing?” he attempted to rationalize. “I’m happy for the guy, really, but not even a head’s up?”

Milo, quiet until now, tilted his head in thought. “It doesn’t sound like you asked him if they were together.” He folded his arms across his chest, nodding solemnly. “True you saw him with a local here, but that doesn’t mean much if you don’t talk to him. Truth be told, I don’t think any of us know why you’re whipping yourself up into a frenzy about this. You’re more turned around than a milcery.”

“They were wearing similar makeup and she was dressing him up like a doll. If they aren’t snogging right now I’ll eat my sweatband. Plus she’s the person he’s shacked up with, isn’t she, Nessa?”

Nessa, mid-sip, looked like a deer in the headlights at the question. “Uh,” she mumbled, swallowing what was in her mouth to answer properly. “No. He mentioned a guy, not a girl. Certainly no one named Plum. Seriously, Rai, why do you care?” She jabbed the straw at Raihan in an accusatory fashion (with a ‘hey!’ from Milo because it was still his drink, whether or not Nessa had commandeered it) and continued her needling. “I was hoping the change of scenery would relax you, not wind you up further. I’ll turn this vacation into an intervention if I have to, don’t test me. Drop the detective work and just take it easy, okay?”

Sonia fiddled with her hair accessories, humming thoughtfully. “Piers is coming to the luau tonight, why not just ask him then?” Though, she did make a mental note to check in on Raihan when things cooled down. Alone. She only felt it right to check in on him.

Rubbing tiredly at his face was the only response Raihan could think to give before a guttural “umf” of defeat caught behind his hands. He was focusing way,  _ way _ too hard on the concept of togetherness, the sticking point that Nessa had made in her initial plans. Something just didn’t sit right with him and he couldn’t figure it out.

With nothing to show for his frustration but a foiled train of thought, Raihan characteristically smiled that warm, soft-faced smile and hummed in appreciation. “You guys are right. It must be the jetlag compounding my own stress. I bet I’ll be right as rain in no time. I think I wore myself out though, mind if I skip lunch? I might have myself a little kip, get refreshed for tonight.”

“A nap might do you good,” Leon agreed, clapping a hand to Raihan’s back. “Maybe later we can have a friendly match and loosen you up. It’d be fun to see how we stand against each other without the pitch.”

“Yeah. Fun. I’ll look forward to that,” Raihan said, but his voice betrayed him and he wavered as he spoke. Leon, for what it was worth, didn’t pursue it for his friend’s sake. “See you guys tonight.”

* * *

“Raihan?”

Sonia’s voice, soft though it was outside the room, stirred Raihan out of his fitful sleep. He had tried to nap, really, but something was nagging at him, and kept him from truly resting. He thought maybe if he lay in bed, hoping the sheets would swallow him whole and drag him under, he wouldn’t have to answer to anything, least of all Sonia, but she knocked at the door and called again.

“Raihan, are you awake? It’s Sonia.”

He tilted his head toward the small hallway between the room and the entrance. “Yeah, give me a minute.” Raihan willed himself out of bed, shuffling over to the door and letting Sonia in. “Sorry I’m not put together yet.”

Sonia furrowed her brow. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?” she asked, stepping in anyway. Raihan watched her as she walked over to the bed and sat at its edge.

“Ah, no, you didn’t. I lost track of time though, is it luau time already?” There was a feigned cheer to Raihan as he joined Sonia at the bed, depressing the mattress with his own weight. He met her concerned expression and dropped the pretense. “No? Alright, then. What’s on your mind? You look like you’re thinking about something.”

Brushing her fingers through her hair, Sonia took her time to form a complete thought. “Nessa told me you’ve been...struggling.” The word choice had Raihan bark out a laugh in disbelief, but Sonia continued like no one had interrupted her. “I’ve been thinking about it from your perspective. Or, well, I’ve been trying. You and Leon have the same issues.”

Raihan kept quiet, but all warmth was gone from his expression. With his hands folded in his lap he turned full attention to his guest. She looked like  _ she _ was the one struggling: she was walking on eggshells and didn’t want to say the wrong thing.

“Honestly if I were in your position I’d feel lost too,” Sonia continued, more boldly, “You’ve held position as second best in the region, could easily be champion somewhere else, and then there’s someone half your age who sweeps in and wins a match not only against you, but against the previously undefeated champion of the region? Sounds farfetch’d.”

Sonia pursed her lips, not sure how to continue without sounding patronizing. “What I mean is, in a few months’ time, Leon lost his footing. He didn’t even get to fall back on being a gym leader. Though…” Leaning back on her hands, Sonia looked up at the ceiling and smiled thoughtfully. “With Lee, he didn’t let the loss define him. He ended up transforming Rose Tower for the better, making it into a place where trainers can become stronger and be the best in the world.”

“Is this supposed to make me feel good?” Raihan finally asked. “I’m happy for Leon, but how does that apply to me? Like you said, I’m still the best gym leader in the region.” He looked unhappy for the first time to say that, as if it was no longer a boast but something to feel guilty of. “I don’t have anything to be bothered by.”

Raihan was given a hum in response. “I’ll let you think about that one, then. I have to get ready for the luau, Raihan. You should do the same. It starts soon.” Before she got up to leave, Sonia leaned over to kiss on the cheek. “Cheers. I’ll see you there.”

* * *

_ I’ll let you think about that one, then. _

The words pinged around Raihan’s brain like a SilphCo screensaver. He thought about them during a shower, he thought about them getting dressed, and he thought about them as he arrived at the beach where the luau was being held.

Nessa had set things up for a mostly private affair, but some of her colleagues seemed to have been invited, as she was flocked with people Raihan couldn’t name. The Kahuna of the island seemed to be chummy with Leon, as he, Sonia, the Kahuna and what Raihan could only assume was a professor (Kukui? Maybe?) were exchanging stories. Everybody else was a familiar face.

Normally Raihan would find himself at ease in a crowd at a lively party, but as he sidled up to Milo for small talk, he could only focus on how out of place he felt.

“Evening, Raihan,” Milo greeted, full of warmth. Raihan returned the greeting with much less enthusiasm, but played it off as still being tired from his nap. Milo quirked a brow but shrugged it off.

“Any later and we would have sent a search party for you. It doesn’t seem like you to want to miss a get together like this,” Milo teased as he gestured to the party. “I’m not usually one for these, but Nessa was real excited and, well…” He trailed off, opting to take a long drink from his cup instead.

Raihan, thankful they weren’t talking about him, nudged Milo in the ribs playfully. “Oh? Why are you here and not talking to her, then?”

“Same reason you’re not talking to Piers, I suppose. They’re busy with company.”

He would have countered that. He would have spat venom and complained to the heavens about how that wasn’t true and how could it even be suggested, he just got to this party and  _ oh _ , how he’s being  _ persecuted _ for this one little thing--

But Milo was right, and Raihan had nothing to quip.

“Where are the--”

“Drinks?” Milo finished, thumbing over to a pop-up bar. “That stall.”

Raihan mumbled a thanks, shuffling off in defeat.  _ I’ll let you think about that one. _ Sonia’s words fogged his mind again, the drone of conversation no longer distracting him from the plague. He sat on a stool, ordered his drink, and sulked over the sentence. He couldn’t muster the energy to enjoy his maitai, either, despite the hashtags and bokeh filter effects he put up on his social media implying otherwise. Ah, well. At least he could get piss drunk, that’d loosen him up.

“Mind if I join you?”


	3. Silence is golden, and you've got my hopes up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually kind of not happy with how I wrote this chapter but I was staring at it for too long, so into the slowburn pile it goes. Yeah I decided this was going to be a slowburn. It's just as painful to me as I'm sure it will be to others. Either way take kindly to this one, the next chapter will be better to make up for it.

The unfamiliar voice shook Raihan out of his monologue, and he turned to meet face-to-chest with that Plum girl Piers had been hanging around yesterday. “Pardon?” he asked, not sure he heard her correctly. His eyes immediately trailed up to her face, both so he wasn’t rudely ogling her and because he wanted to get a better look at the girl.

“I asked if I could sit with you. If you don’t want me to, fine, I’ll buzz off.” She was about to turn tail and leave, but Raihan stopped her at the last moment.

“Wait. No, I don’t mind. Just startled by the sudden question.” He heard her audibly pout, and coughed into his hand. “I’m Raihan, by the way,” he added so as not to seem rude.

“I know.”

Well, formalities were attempted.

She sat at the bar, fingers laced together and scrutinizing eyes gazing Raihan up and down as if she was judging him for something. He must have passed the test, because after a pregnant pause, she gave her name.

“I’m Plumeria. But you knew that, didn’t you?”

“P-Pardon?” Raihan repeated, taken off guard.

Plumeria lidded her eyes, wet her lips and continued with the accusation. “You were in that store with me and Piers. I saw you hiding like you aren’t the tallest fucker around.” She crossed one leg over the other and simpered like she caught him with his hand in a cookie jar. “What were you hiding for?”

“I wasn’t hiding.”

“Hmph. Could have fooled me.”

Raihan straightened himself up, as ‘the tallest fucker around,’ as Plumeria put it. Her attitude was...familiar, but grating. Probably because she was probing him, and he was entirely in the wrong here, he thought, but he wasn’t about to let her know that. “I was shopping,  _ thank you _ .” Raihan gestured to his swim trunks in alibi. “Needed them for the luau.”

Plumeria leaned in close. “I’m sure.” Despite the poison in her tone, her body language was open and gave Raihan emotional whiplash. Was she bristly with him? Flirting? Just making conversation based on having a mutual friend? He couldn’t tell at this point, but he leaned back just enough to keep a sociable distance from her.

She tilted her chin at his gesture, scanning over Raihan again like a predator stalking its prey. Hungry claws clicked against the wood as Plumeria drummed her fingers rhythmically. “So,” she lolled her body back again, mimicking her conversation partner’s stance, “from what I hear about you, you’re the kind of dude to let anyone and everyone’s business hang out whether they like it or not. You’re scrunched up in the corner here talking to nobody though. That, and you  _ not _ stalking me an’ my friend, and I’m feeling very confused by you. Interested, but confused.”

Raihan chose to ignore that. “You’ve heard about me?” he asked, changing the subject. “Nothing bad, I hope. I try to stay motivational. You know, for people who look up to me.”

“Modest, aren’t we,” Plumeria mused. “Hmph. Nah. Nothing bad. Just mouthy, and that’s not necessarily bad. Chatty.” She seemed to relax considerably in tone, hitting a stride in conversation that worked for both of them. Raihan relaxed as well, no longer feeling judged.

“I just like to look out for my family,” she continued, “no harm intended. Promise. You seem decent enough.” Plumeria held a finger up in thought. “I guess I can see how you’d be seen as motivational. Not how you were described to me, but I see it. It’s kind of cute.”

Ah, so she was hitting on him. It all made sense now. “Cute?” Raihan mimicked, expression silly and light, “Oh, well, I don’t know about that.”

“Suit yourself. It’s not cute then.” Ouch. She was as quick to bring him down as she was to build him up, and Raihan could see why Piers would be attracted to her.

She sighed as obnoxiously as she could muster, making a point of showing that this conversation was a boring, one-sided mess. “Tell me about you. I heard the rumors, I met the person. Sell yourself to me.” Raihan scrunched up his face in disbelief, making Plumeria laugh at the expression. “Not used to having to work for others’ favor?”

“Ah. Well, no, you’re right. I’m not,” Raihan admitted. “Le’ssee...oh! Well I’m pretty interested in academia— don’t make that face, I keep watch over the Hammerlocke Vault, where a lot of history and teachings are; I’d like to think myself as more of a fashion forward person, though. Keeping up on the trends and all.” He eased his shoulders and relaxed, and soon enough he and Plumeria ate up half the night with drinks and conversation.

“You’re probably wondering how I know your buddy, aren’tcha?” Plumeria asked, folding her arms across her chest and staring Raihan down. If she was looking for some kind of reaction, Raihan didn’t give it to her, and she relented a moment later. “We’re friends from a long time ago. He wanted to catch up after his whole thing in Galar. Something about having more free time?”

His whole thing? Did she mean…

“Being a gym leader?”

“Yeah,” Plumeria confirmed, “that one. Boy gets around a lot from what I remember. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him. He looks healthy.”

That was an odd way to put it, but Raihan didn’t question the phrasing. Instead he poked at his new friend. “You two find the long distance thing hard to manage?” Plumeria looked confused. “Like dating, is it hard?”

At that, she erupted into slightly too-loud peals of laughter, almost falling off the stool from her outburst. Between the giggles she managed a reply. “Oh arceus, you think we’re a thing? Fuck, I can’t wait to tell him that.” Plumeria calmed herself down enough that she could smooth herself out and compose herself. “We ain’t a thing, don’t get your panties in a twist,” she said to a now flustered Raihan. “He’s got enough on his mind and in his life anyway, it wouldn’t work out even if I did want that.”

“Are you--

“Not into you either,” She cut off. Raihan closed his mouth. “I may be feeling my third Ribombee’s Knees but I’m not  _ that _ drunk.”

Raihan worked his tongue against his teeth, trying to form some kind of word. “I wasn’t going to say that,” he managed in a quiet rasp. Maybe it was the Mai Tais, or the way Plumeria raised a single, disbelieving brow at him, but Raihan’s need to defend himself caused a mess of words to spill. 

“I mean, you’re pretty and all, but not my type you know? You keep saying things that are confusing me because your actions say different and also I’m surprised how Piers seems so relaxed around you? He only looks that happy around his sister I’ve noticed, and you guys have some kind of connection, are you related? Our homes are an ocean and a half away from each other so I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around how you guys know each other and are so chummy with each other and I can’t even get the guy to say more than a few sentences to me, let alone anyone else managing that so you doing it so effortlessly is--”

Plumeria held up her hand. “Piers was right, you’re a mouthy cunt. Listen. He’s a friend from a long time ago. We had an impact on each other and I was kind of sad when he left for Galar all those years ago. I said I look out for family, and he’s it. No more, no less.” She rested her cheek in the palm of her propped up hand and waved him away with the other. “I’ve probed you long enough. You check out fine to me. Go word vomit to Piers, he’s used to it.”

“Ah? Why him?” Despite feeling like a tit for spilling his thoughts with no regard to tact, Raihan couldn’t grok the leap from ‘having a conversation with acquaintance Plumeria’ to ‘having a conversation with acquaintance Piers.’

A beat of silence passed between them as Plumeria merely gestured vaguely with a wave once more before standing up. “As thick as you are cute, aren’t you? Numbskulls like you need a bit of a push, I get it. Look, of everyone here, the only person Piers considers a friend enough to talk to is me and you. And me? I have to jet soon. I have business somewhere else. Our chat was nice, but I didn’t mean to linger on it for as long as we did.” She gave Raihan a sly wink as she rounded behind him to leave. “I’ll see you elsewhere, big guy.”

“It’s Raihan!”

“Whatever!”

And she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone's been paying attention, I've been naming chapters after lyrics in various songs. Sometimes they match the mood! Sometimes I just had the thing on repeat because I'm a basic bitch.


	4. Give 'em hell, give 'em teeth like you taught me

Raihan was left alone at the tiki bar, mouth dry as cotton and head full of staticky confusion. _What_ was that conversation? He leaned and let his forehead thunk softly against the bamboo counter to see if he was still really awake for this or if the last two hours was a drunken stupor. The slight throb suggested the former.

“Urghh.” He had one of two options he could pursue: Either continue drinking until he really _was_ in a stupor, or go home early, claiming a sour stomach.

 _Or talk to Piers_ , a quiet voice in the back of his head gently suggested. Plumeria said that Piers considered him a friend. Sure, that’s a reason. The fact he put himself at arm’s length from the rest of the group. Could probe him on that. More to the point Raihan was curious about his connection to this region. Old friend, huh? How old?

That settled it, and Raihan swung his leg out to hound his pal for answers. ...Well, pal was a strong word, maybe buddy? Ah, no, that seemed off as well. He’d stick with friend.

“Wotcher, Piers!” he called, sidling up to Galar’s finest celebrity rocker. C-list, maybe. Could even be a B-list. Piers shrugged him off the best he could but Raihan persisted. “I met your friend Plumeria.”

The name earned the slightest of tilts toward Raihan, who beamed as if he had just solved a difficult puzzle. Piers may as well have been a puzzle with how tight-lidded he kept.

“Plum? Fancy that,” he said, the barest tone of amusement in his voice. “I s’pose she wanted to sleuth you out.”

Raihan’s brows raised. “How’d you know that? Yeah, she was throwing twenty questions at me. Nice girl.”

“Decent bird, yeah,” Piers agreed, nursing the bottle of beer in his hand. “There a reason you came over here to gab my ear off about it?” He deigned to give Raihan more than a shoulder of attention and turned to look at him in full. He looked uncomfortable, to put it lightly. Stiff posture, curled in on himself not unlike his usual stance, but this was more cloistered. One arm against his chest with a hand at his collarbone, the other not far behind, holding the bottle like it was a lifeline.

“Social parties aren’t your thing?” Raihan guessed, scratching idly at his neck. Piers’ silence answered for him, and Raihan rolled his shoulders, left in the awkward situation of carrying the conversation alone on his shoulders.

“Well, I get that. Plumeria told me you’d be a little lonely with her gone--”

“Oh, did she?”

“--and I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Raihan finished as if Piers hadn’t interrupted him. He tapped the table they were at in a confirming gesture. “That’s what friends do.”

Piers looked away from Raihan, a smidge less rigid but still very much closed off. “News to me that we’re friends,” he mumbled into the neck of his bottle, “have I become one of your pet projects on Instaryugram or sommat?”

The idea of Raihan making Piers some kind of fixer upper project hurt, and it showed in his expression. Piers only asked a “what” in return.

“Why would I do that?” Raihan quibbled, “I’m not that shallow. Do I come off as that shallow?” The slight against his character cut deep and he played the part of a wounded pidove perfectly; massive attention brought to his bruised ego like a ‘broken’ wing of a nesting bird.

Piers rolled his eyes. “Come off it, I was winding you up. I’m goin’ to go, not feelin’ the atmosphere here.” He scooted his chair back, getting ready to leave, when Raihan stopped him.

“Wait, before you do,” he said, fingers clutched at the sleeve of Piers’ jacket, “are we friends?”

Piers regarded Raihan’s question with serious contemplation. “Would I regret it if I told you yes?” He asked finally, tugging his arm away. “What kind of question is that, anyway? ‘Course we’re friends. What would you call it?”

Raihan melted at the confirmation, glad to hear it said out loud. “I dunno,” he replied, “but you act so cold to everyone it’s hard to tell. Obligation?”

“Masochism,” Piers corrected.

There was a weak chuckle between the two of them, and Piers lingered. His expression was thoughtful, and for a moment it seemed like he was going to ask Raihan something. However, all he did was offer the same wave he did that morning and said, “I’ll see you around, Raihan.”

* * *

_Ring...Ring...Ring...Ri--_

“Mn, ‘llo?” Raihan gripped the corded phone with both hands, the base of it clattering off the side drawer. He hissed a curse under his breath.

“Alola! This is your requested wake-up call. It’s 9am,” the cheery voice of a hotel receptionist said on the other line. Raihan stared bleary-eyed at the ceiling. Wake-up call. Right. He asked for that to have a day with Leon out on the trails. Drunk him must _really_ hate hungover him.

“Thank you,” he mumbled into the receiver, hanging up before he got a ‘you’re welcome’ back. Raihan continued to look up at nothing in particular, trying to will himself back to the living. It was difficult, between the headache and the fact he had maybe four hours of sleep, and now he’s going to go hiking?

Raihan rolled over in bed, blinking away the last of his sleep, contemplating calling off, but then his own phone went off with a series of buzzes and clicks.

L: Raihan!  
L: Good morning   
L: You ready for today? I am!   
L: I’m so glad we can spend time together :)

Even when knackered from a night of being drunk under the table, Leon still managed to be a bright spot of sun in an otherwise cloudy day. Raihan’s energy was renewed by that alone.

R: Hey.  
R: I just woke up.   
R: Give me an hour?   
L: Sounds great. I’ll meet you at the bottom of ten carat hill   
  
Raihan paused his typing of “see you there” and instead wrote:   
  
R: Make it a half hour.   
  
Lord only knew Leon needed all the time in the world to get where he was going.

Raihan took his time to get ready, most of it spent with his head against the wall of the shower. He brushed every tooth individually, laced his shoes up with precision, mulled over which team member to bring with him ( _no, you’re not going to ruin your mood by battling Leon today_ , he told himself as he grabbed just his flygon’s ball), packed the essential hiking gear slowly. Focusing on his actions eased him, and by the time Raihan was out the door he felt much better than he had the past week.

He had found Ten Carat Hill easily enough, and as he was releasing Flygon from its ball Leon jogged up.

“Hey! Sorry I’m late. I got turned around for a bit there,” Leon apologized, following suit to give his Charizard some fresh air as well. Raihan could only smile at the typical response as he watched their Pokémon play a game of tag in the air.

“No worries, mate. I just got here myself, so you’ve got perfect timing.” Leon seemed to beam with accomplishment at that. “Anyway,” Raihan continued, “just a short hike, yeah? Surprised you didn’t invite Sonia.”

“Oh, she and Nessa went out on a date together, so she’s busy today,” Leon explained. He started to stretch out his legs, expecting the hike to be a long one. “I tried to invite Milo since, well, Nessa, but he said something about Paniola Ranch.”

“They tied the knot finally?” Raihan looked surprised.

“Right? I’m excited for them, but now that means I have to share.” Leon frowned exaggeratedly, causing Raihan to lose his composure and snort.

“You’ve got a little brother, I’m sure you’ll manage,” Raihan said, clapping his friend on the back in support. Leon only protested weakly with a childish “but it’s not the saaaaAAAaaame,” before breaking out in a wide grin.

“Awwright, I’m done playing. Fiver on who can beat the other in a race to the top of the hill?” Leon asked.

A competition! Of course.

“Make it lunch and you’ve got a deal,” Raihan countered, “and no pokemon.” Leon may have been bulkier from working out and therefore a great deal stronger, but Raihan had the advantage in long, powerful strides. The hill itself was a mild slope at best, curvy paths being the only real obstacle. He could do it. This would be a walk in the park. A run up the hill. Whatever was the better metaphor.

Leon tilted back in one final full-body stretch before getting into position for a serious match. “Don’t complain about the bill then, you know how much I eat.”

“With your luck, you’ll take a wrong turn and end up on the next island,” Raihan ribbed. “Count of three?”

Leon started them off, making an exaggerated show of it by having his charizard do loops in the shape of the numbers. At the final count, they took off like a shot, making it to a cave in record time.

Inside the cave was an entirely different story. There was no light, it was damp, and because Raihan specified no Pokémon, Leon’s charizard only trailed behind them instead of in front, so it wouldn’t accidentally make a beacon out of its tail. There were plenty of curses and echoed laughter whenever someone skidded or tripped on slick ground, and Leon, clumsy as he was, began to fall behind.

Raihan reached the end of the tunnel first, marking his victory with a little hop to the outside. There was only a stretch of land left before they reached the true top of Ten Carat Hill, and Raihan was determined to make it there first. Leon was still fumbling his way through the cave, so Raihan took the moment of respite to survey the area.

It was a beautiful, open space, with steep, craggy rock faces walling the field in. Farthest Hollow was picturesque, and it made Raihan want to take a premature winner’s selfie. He just barely restrained himself, instead taking a light jog along the path upward.

He was about to round the corner of a ledge and scramble his way up the final lap when the unique noise of clinking metal and low murmuring caught Raihan’s attention. He turned his head, trying to catch sight of the source of the noise, when Leon finally caught up to and passed him.

“Raihan, buddy, don’t give up now! Won’t make my victory any fun,” Leon goaded, but Raihan was focused on something else. He made his way back to Raihan’s side and craned his neck to see what his friend was gawking at. 

“Oh, hey, isn’t that Piers?”


	5. You waited, smiling, for this?

Piers was not the person Raihan was looking at.

Raihan was looking at someone Piers was with, a man who looked either in his 20s or his 50s, if Raihan was the type to be uncharitable. Tall, blocky,  _ also _ a sloucher, the guy even seemed to be cut from the same cloth as Piers. Piers definitely acted it, uncharacteristically fawning over the man with how rapt his attention was. He hung on every word of their conversation, as indistinguishable as it was to Raihan and Leon.

“Wow, he looks chipper,” Leon said, putting balled-up fists on his hips, “never seen him crack a smile that wide before.”

“Yeah…” Raihan trailed off. His expression was twisted deeply in thought and he didn’t know what to make of it. Leon nudged him out of his processing.

“Let’s go say hi,” he suggested. “Anyone able to get Mr. Tomb and Gloom to be that happy must be someone worth talking to.”

Raihan didn’t oppose.

Charismatic trendsetter that he was, Leon yelled from across the field, “oi, Piers!” and ran over for an official hello. Raihan was slow to catch up, keeping a sauntering gait. He wanted to analyze the person without suspicion for as long as he could.

“Come  _ on _ , Rai. You were kicking my arse in a race not even five minutes ago,” Leon half-spoke, half-shouted behind him before reaching a surprised Piers. As Raihan got closer the conversation became more distinct.

“—‘m Leon. That slowpoke is Raihan. Nice to meet you!”

“Fancy that, I get to meet the champion of Galar in the flesh? I’m tickled pink,” the guy said in a lilt. That biting sarcasm was definitely Piers’ brand.

“Hey there,” Raihan flashed a wave and a grin. “I guess I wasn’t in time to introduce myself. Yeah, I’m the great Raihan himself. You are?”

“Guzma,” the man said. “You’re that dude Plum grilled, aren’t you?” He seemed amused more than anything, but Raihan took it in stride.

“Oh? Heard about that one did you? Yeah, we talked for a bit. She seemed insisting.”

Piers began to fidget by spinning his bracelet around his wrist, tuning out of the conversation and defaulting back to his quiet, uninvolved personality. Raihan took notice but didn’t say anything about it.

Guzma nodded in understanding, crossing his arms over his chest. “She’s protective is all. Does it to everyone.”

Leon, not having met Plumeria, looked slightly confused. “How do you know Piers?” he asked to get the conversation on a more familiar level.

“The little shit used to live in Alola! Were y’all stuck in the dark on that?” Guzma laughed and elbowed Piers in the side, who now looked like he wanted to shrink away from the spotlight being on him.

“Woah! Piers, you never told us that,” Leon gasped. “Were you born here? How long were you here for? What about Marnie? Was she born here too?”

Piers scrunched his face up. Guzma laughed again, egged on by Piers’ expression. Piers fiddled with his bracelet more. Raihan frowned.

“Hey, Piers, you okay?” Raihan asked. Piers caught Raihan gazing at his wrist and immediately dropped both hands.

“S’fine.” Muttered, defeated. “Weren’t you lot more interested in Guz?” He deflected the attention away and looked off at nothing in particular. Piers deemed his involvement in the conversation over.

“Oh, okay,” Leon picked up the hint finally and went back to Guzma. “Is Piers staying with you? I didn’t see you at the luau last night, you would have been more than welcome! A friend is a friend is a friend.” 

Guzma shook his head. “Not my thing. I was busy with my crew anyway.” He tapped at his shoulder, indicating the back of his jacket. “Team skull may be six feet underground but I still got an obligation to my fam. You don’t abandon family, understand?”

Raihan got it, then. Piers was so comfortable and open around Plumeria, and now Guzma, because they were  _ family _ . Plumeria had said as much to him, but the message didn’t quite stick in Raihan’s mind until seeing Guzma’s commitment to it. Piers was like them. The way he clung to Marnie like she was his lifeline, doting on all his Pokémon equally, that was his family.

And Galar wasn’t. He...wasn’t.

That was what got Piers’ rejection under his skin. It was the implication that despite the warmth he was shown, his friends weren’t close enough, and weren't allowed to see this warm side of him. It stung, but Raihan felt like he should have expected it.

“Ah.” His expression flatlined and he exhaled a long-suffering sigh of resignation.

“Rai…?” Leon trailed, noticing the change in atmosphere. Guzma raised an eyebrow at the tonal shift from pleasant to morose.

“Something I said, weather boy?”

Raihan sucked in a breath and took the high road, smiling pleasantly enough in the mouth, but without his eyes following suit. “Nah, nothing. I uh. Had a drinking competition with Leon here and overdid it. I feel winded from a race with him and well.” He gestured. “Really got vertigo there for a minute. I’ll be fine in a bit.” He had a feeling no one bought that.

Piers especially, who looked over at Raihan and mouthed something that was just slightly too hard to lip read.

“Oh, wow, why didn’t you call off the hike?” Leon asked, falling for it. Or just being a good actor for Raihan’s sake. When it was a serious issue it was hard to tell.

“I didn’t know we’d have a race.”

Leon hummed. “Guess you’re right.”

Guzma twirled a finger in the air, gesturing to the sky. “And I suppose those are your Pokémon, then? I mistook the charizard for a ride service, but the flygon was an interesting mix up.”

“Oh, yeah.” Raihan called his flygon down, and it landed gracefully at his side, possessively rubbing its cheek against any exposed surface of skin Raihan had. Guzma looked fascinated at the display, to say the least.

“My thing’s always been bugs but I can appreciate those things. Is it always that affectionate?” He asked with interest.

“Not to this degree, but around this time of year she likes to get antsy and leaves her pokeball a lot without permission.” The flygon began to nibble on Raihan’s sweatband in protest. It most certainly did NOT disobey, the audacity. “It’s easier to keep her out more often than not.”

Guzma made a noise in the back of his throat. “There’s sometimes flygon near my haunt, but they’re rarer than the prevos. Personally I've never seen one. ‘Least, not this close anyway. She friendly?” He reaches a hand out tentatively to pat it on the nose, but the Pokémon shrieks and bolts up into the sky with a whistling sound.

“Aw, shit, my bad,” he apologized, but Raihan was amused and could only laugh.

“Don’t be,” he comforted, “dragons are always notoriously picky with who they let touch them. I’m surprised she took to fleeing instead of trying to bite your hand off. Nasty creatures sometimes. Can be bloody pricks even at the best of it.”

As if to make a point, the flygon made warning trills and clicks to the offender.

“Like that. She didn’t have to do that.”

Guzma belly laughed. “Fuck, you’re funny. No wonder Piers talked about you to me. This a regular thing with you?”

Piers talked about him?

_ Of course he did, _ that quiet voice from last night whispered,  _ you’re his friend. He said so. _

“Oh, hah, I guess?” Raihan was still stuck on ‘Piers talked about you’ as if it was some elaborate prank. If he was honest about that, why are he and the rest of the gym leaders, people he’s arguably known the longest, meant to figure out some philosopher’s puzzle while near strangers got to hear his intimate secrets.

...wait, why did he care in the first place? Ugh, this was residual frustration about his lack of direction, wasn’t it? Maybe if—

“Earth to Raihan!”

He was knocked fairly hard in the shoulder by Leon, which brought him out of his own mind.

“You spaced out on us again, buddy. Should we go back to the hotel?”

“Huh? Oh. Uh, yeah, why don’t we do that.” Raihan looked— and felt— like a tit in that moment. “Sorry for interrupting you lot, just wanted to say hi is all. Thanks for the chat, it was lovely.”

“Ta,” Piers said to the couple, looking more uncomfortable by the minute. It was all Raihan was going to get out of him.

“I’ll see if I can’t get us to hang,” Guzma promised, “I’ll show you some secrets even old man Hala doesn’t know about.”

Leon mumbled his own goodbyes and pulled Raihan away by the arm. When they were finally out of earshot, he huffed. “Well I’d say that went a little bit pear shaped, wouldn’t you?” He asked.

Raihan huffed in response.

“What’s going on, Rai?” Leon asked, grabbing his friend by the wrists. “This is the second day in a row I’ve seen you so worked up over nothing, and Sonia said this had been going on for a bit.”

“I don’t know. If I knew, I’d tell you, because I’m making myself look like a right twat and it’s ruining everyone else’s vacation, innit?” Raihan confessed. “But I see you succeeding, and now Piers has some life entirely different from what I’m used to about the bloke, and I’m still just me.”

“You’re still just you?” 

“I’m still just Raihan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: ok good i posted ch4 now i can work on that halloween horror fic  
> my brain: you stupid bitch
> 
> what i had in mind for this chapter was actually cut short because I didn't want to make it too long!


	6. Straight to my head like the first cigarette of the day

“I think I know what the issue is,” Leon said through a mouthful of fries.

The restaurant he and Raihan had picked was a quiet hole in the wall, with faded menu signs and sun-stained furniture. They had asked for a booth furthest away from any prying eyes or straining ears, and were free to talk, though Raihan still felt the need to speak low.

“What’s that?” he asked, picking at his food indiscriminately. After the meetup with Piers and Guzma, and at Leon’s insistence to  _ push _ , any idea of lunch made his stomach feel weak.

Leon took another fry from his plate before answering, chewing thoughtfully. “I think you’re jealous.”

“Jealous.”

“You said it yourself,” Leon jabbed, and Raihan’s frown deepened. “What  _ you _ see is me with the battle tower, and Piers has his music career, and the champion’s got a full plate, but you’re not looking at  _ yourself _ , you know.”

Raihan sat in silence, mulling it over. He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again. Opened. Closed. Finally he hummed noncommittally.

Leon put his chin in his hand, blowing a stray lock of hair out of his face. For as brilliant and observant as his friend and rival could be, Raihan was easily one-tracked and could get himself stuck in a feedback loop if allowed. It was both his charm and his flaw to be so driven, and part of Leon suspected that was the major reason Raihan kept losing to him in their rematches.

“So if I’m jealous,” Raihan started, shaking Leon out of his thinking, “what exactly am I jealous  _ of _ ?”

“I don’t know, Raihan, you tell me. I’m not the one moping.”

Raihan didn’t have an answer. He knew Leon had a point, and that maybe,  _ maybe _ he was jealous that people were succeeding, and he was being left behind, but he still had a job. He was still the best gym leader of the region, so it wasn’t like he was losing anything. He still had the job of looking after the Hammerlocke vault, so he still had worth. Where did this feeling of defeat come from? Raihan sucked on his teeth and turned his head away so he didn’t have to look at his friend.

“Are you  _ pouting _ ?” Leon asked with a disbelieving laugh.

Raihan puffed up. “I’m not.” He was. His fingers drummed against the table impatiently as he waited for Leon to argue back that,  _ yes he was, don’t lie about it, I know you better than that, you get huffy when you’ve lost and this was no different and _ \--

\--and it never came. Leon looked on at Raihan with a mixture of condolence and understanding and Raihan’s face screwed up as he tried to play it off.

“Whatever, whatever. I’ll figure it out.” Raihan lingered on the word as he finally went for a bite of lukewarm manapua. “Thanks, Leon. I don’t know why I’m stressing so hard when I have you to help.”

“Hey, friends are there for each other, and you’re probably my greatest best friend at the end of the day. You ever want to shoot the breeze, I’m okay for it any day of the week.” He chuckled slightly before adding: “my schedule is more free now, anyway.”

* * *

Dusk had threatened the horizon, turning the ocean into a glitter of abyssal blue and strips of bronze. Raihan, leaned out on the balcony of his room, drank it all in. The cries of gulls and gentle lapping of the waves below sent a calm through him, allowing him to slough off the events of the day like the shed of a snake. Raihan could only savor the feeling for a moment before a gentle buzz in his coat pocket woke him from the dreamy state.

It was his phone, and an insisting second, then third buzz had him finally check.

P: hey.   
P: its piers.  
P: can we talk?

Raihan exhaled a short laugh through his nose at the absurdity of Piers clarifying that, yes, that was still his number. He was about to call, when a fourth text came through.

P: not on the phone ya clown shoe.

Damn, either he was being stalked or Raihan really was that easy to read. He shot back a text instead.

R: Over text? Orrrr…   
P: am below.

Raihan leaned over the balcony with surprise to find Piers below, offering a half-assed wave. “You put me on, mate, thought you had ESP for a minute there!” he called. Piers pointed to his ear to indicate he didn’t catch that, and Raihan waved him off. “Be down in a mo’,” he yelled, hurrying to grab a light jacket in case he’d be outside for a while.

At the base of the stairs, Piers scuffed his shoe against the concrete. He looked ready to walk off already, an imaginary schedule busy with who-knows-what. Raihan skipped down the stairwell two steps at a time and skidded to a halt just in front of the dark type master.

“‘Lo, Rai,” Piers said.

“‘Lo,” Raihan mimicked. 

Piers smiled, slight quirk of the lip in that way he did when he found things amusing. His expression dropped as he looked off to the side and scratched at the back of his head dismissively. “Hey, wanted to uh. Apologize? Yeah. For earlier today. You looked offended, an’ I think I’m contributin’ to that.”

Raihan’s brows furrowed. “You think you’re…?” he trailed off in a mumble. Why did Piers think the sour mood was from him?

“Jus’ give me a mo’, okay?” Piers argued firmly. “Just ‘cause I don’t engage doesn’t mean I’m not listenin’, right? This vacation thing was more for your benefit than any of ours, an’ I’m hidin’ out avoidin’ what I can.”

Raihan opened his mouth, but Piers ignored it and continued. “So what I was thinkin’ was I wring all the socialization outta me like a sponge an’ we make a day of it.” He ended the proposal with a wrist flick out to...somewhere. Raihan followed it with an apprehensive look, then back at his friend.

“You don’t have to feel guilty about anything, you know,” Raihan said, and Piers leaned back on his heels in response.

“I’m not put out by it,” he replied plainly. “I want to. You can tell me to fuck off if you want, won’t bother me, but I’m free all day tomorrow.” Piers paused. “If you’re inclined.”

“...”

Raihan rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how to take the offer. Any argument of his bullshit being his alone would be challenged, and it would be a long-suffering fight. He did, however, have the tug of curiosity at his heartstrings, telling him to pursue and chase. And if Piers was laying it at his feet?

“What time?”


	7. You give me a good reason to be heartsick again

Early mornings in Alola were a welcome change to Raihan. He found himself up much earlier than originally anticipated, simply staring out over the ocean horizon as the sun threatened to break along it. The faint scent of sea-spray reached his balcony, just barely enticing the senses and Raihan drank it in with closed eyes and a content hum.

Today was going to be a good day.

He was told to bring his Flygon but no others, Piers had been very insistent on that. Raihan had a lingering suspicion as to why, but getting a straight answer was like herding delcatty, and he wasn’t in the business to spoil any surprise set up for him.

The rotomphone that loved to whizz around Raihan’s head lit up as he was getting dressed. Raihan looked briefly at the screen, surprised that Piers was requesting a video call of all things, and jabbed ‘accept’ after managing to tug his shorts up.

“Hey, took me forever t’— fuck’s sake, Raihan, put a shirt on.”

Raihan grinned cheekily but made a gesture to the rest of him in grand showmanship. “Hey, I put some trousers on before answering the call, at least.” The way he saw Piers roll his eyes delighted Raihan to no end despite the wasted hospitality.

“Dunno how you don’t put an eye out with those piercings of yours,” Piers mumbled under his breath, “but you bein’ indecent isn’t why I called.”

“Oh?” Raihan asked, finally donning a loose tank. At Piers’ request, he was dressing for scorching weather, but Raihan was so unfamiliar with Alolan territory he had nothing to go on beyond maybe the deep jungle or at the heart of a volcano. “Why’d you call?”

Piers began to play with the ring of his collar absentmindedly. “Have you eaten yet? Can’t imagine you have if you’re still gettin’ dressed, but knowin’ your training habits you might’ve.”

Raihan hummed. “Not yet. The continental breakfast at the hotel isn’t open yet. Why, were you going to suggest someplace else?”

“Actually, yeah. I got a recommendation for a breakfast bar on Ula’ula if you’re peckish.”

“That’s a bit of a walk, mate,” Raihan smiled. A walk, swim, and another walk more like it, but it was said to get a rise out of his conversation partner.

“Ah,” Piers countered, raising a finger up and wagging it in protest, “we’re goin’ that way regardless.”

Raihan’s eyes widened a fraction at the new knowledge. “All the way over there?” he asked, both interested and surprised. “Is this the part where you feed me tidbits of information until I’m able to piece it all together like some magnificent geocaching mystery?”

Piers shrugged his shoulders and brought a hand up to his phone, getting ready to end the call. “I’ll see you in 15 minutes.”

_ Click _ .

Fifteen minutes to clean himself up, ten minutes to double check his bag for extra water, some trail mix, and some of those cute complementary Poké beans, and five minutes to sprint out the door and down the stairs. Raihan almost toppled over Piers at the front entrance.

“Easy, what’s your hurry?” asked Piers once he got his bearings. Aside from a small pack strapped to his thigh that held maybe a bottle of water, he seemed completely unprepared for whatever ‘scorching weather’ implied. To Raihan, it seemed he was out of his element no matter where in the region Piers went, and even this little bit of preparation was far from the norm.

Raihan scuffed his boot against the floor and rested his hands along the back of his head. “Packing light, aren't you?” he deflected. Piers didn’t answer, rocking back on his heels to look up at Raihan, expression unreadable. After a beat of silence passed between the both of them, Piers turned and walked out the door, gesturing for Raihan to follow.

“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing?” Raihan asked, catching up to and falling in stride with Piers. Piers was silent on the matter all the way to the docks, only humming a familiar tune that Raihan couldn’t quite place.

“One of yours?” He asked, setting against the railing of the boat as it undocked and sputtered to life.

“Mm, no, wish it was,” Piers smiled, tilting his head to Raihan. “I sing it often enough to myself to warrant a cover, but it’s from an Unovan band.” He turned back to the sea, humming again. Raihan could barely make out Piers spelling out “P-O-K-É-M-ON” in a rhythm.

* * *

Ula’ula was a quiet island. Compared to the hustle and bustle of Melemele, it almost seemed frozen in time. The sleepy, serene atmosphere was perfect for relaxing. Raihan’s pace slowed as he tried to take everything in all at once.

Piers ignored Raihan’s meandering and headed to a Johto-style garden, taking a sharp right once past the gate. He paused long enough to make sure Raihan was still following before making his way to what looked to be a tea stand across one of the bridges. Piers slowed, bracing the tips of his fingers against a rounded seat as he took place in the middle, Raihan expected to choose either side of him. They seemed to be the only ones in the garden, judging by the surprised but pleasant expression of the tea merchant.

Raihan caught the tail end of Piers’ order as he sat down. Something called Dorayaki— Raihan noted the menu explained it as a kind of pancake— and tea. He opened his mouth to order for himself, when Piers held a hand up.

“I got it already,” he said, pulling one of the cups the merchant offered to them towards him. He watched absentmindedly as the man behind the counter prepped their food, only giving Raihan the barest of acknowledgements when nudged by Raihan to scoot the pot of tea over within reach.

“Breakfast food?” Raihan asked, filling his cup.

“More of a dessert.”

“This early?”

Piers looked over, finally, if only to take the teapot back. “Surprisingly it’s not as sweet as you’d expect. More savory because of the bean paste.” He continued the explanation while pouring himself a cup as if he frequented the stand on the daily. “The pancakes are actually castelia batter, this place likes to use ribombee honey to sweeten their mix.” A pause, and then as if to justify himself, Piers added: “I heard it’s a nice snack.”

Raihan mouthed the lip of his cup, hanging on every word with interest to the point that he nearly missed the merchant setting a plate down in front of him. He looked briefly at it, ready to turn his attention back to Piers, but the sight of a stamped gyarados in the pastry was a touch he hadn’t expected, and Raihan let out a surprised, “oh!”

“Charmin’, isn’t it?” Piers asked, already with a forkful of the dorayaki in his mouth.

Raihan let his rotomphone, buzzing with anticipation, snap a couple pictures before he tried the pastry himself. It was pleasant and not overly sweet, like Piers had said, and was just the thing Raihan needed to kick his day off. The dorayaki was gone within minutes. He felt satisfied; not full, but content and energized for the day.

After another drained cup of tea and some idle morning chatter, Piers and Raihan bid their goodbyes to the merchant and left the garden. Piers, in the lead, made a gesture to a sign ahead of them.

“A bus?” Raihan questioned, catching up to Piers and scrunching up his nose. “You told me to bring my Flygon, we can, you know,  _ fly _ there.”

“Regulations, mate, no we can’t. Besides, the ride on the way is scenic.”

* * *

The ride on the way  _ was _ scenic, but at the mouth of a canyon that led to a desert was really what made Raihan go silent. 

He understood why Piers said to bring only his Flygon. She had been antsy for the past week, the same time as she was every breeding season, but the distant, siren-like sound of wings in the heart of Haina Desert only aggravated her more, and Raihan had to keep his hand on the button of her Pokeball to keep her from releasing herself and running off where he wouldn’t find her.

“Piers, you—” Raihan started, losing his thought midway. “I don’t know what— I mean, I do know what, but...you planned this?”

In contrast, Piers had every right to feel smug, and the small pull of a smile at the corner of his mouth said as much. “They make pretty noises, don’t they?” was all he said before crossing the threshold from rock to sand, urging Raihan to follow.

The singing of Flygon grew louder as the pair trudged through sandstorm to meet it.

“Ugh, how do you stay on top’a the sand like that?” Piers complained, kicking up more of a mess than the wind was. Raihan could only laugh in response, unsure of what to say. His shoes, maybe? He had them specially tailored for his battling techniques, but they only did so much to help.

“Practice, maybe. How much further?”

Piers shook his hair out of its ponytail in a pathetic attempt to shield himself from the sand. “Not much. You can let your pecker-headed dragon out an’ I’m sure she’d know the way better than I do.”

“You think?” Raihan snorted, but he did exactly that. The Flygon barely gave the pair any time to react before she made a beeline to the noise, her bright green colors blurring to nothing within moments.

“There she goes.” Raihan stuck his hands on his hips, barely able to make out where his Pokémon had gone. “I hope we can catch up to her before she does something stupid.”

“Like what? Get laid?”

“Hm.”

They continued to follow, with Piers scrabbling over himself trying to stay upright and Raihan keeping his focus on the sky, until they reached a rocky outcrop. Here, Piers sat himself on solid ground and leaned on his palms. “Look, over there,” he said, tilting his head to where the siren song was loudest.

Raihan had never seen a Flygon pairing in person before. He was never so lucky. But here, now, he was watching the courtship of his dragon and her suitor.

The male made a show of acrobatics, zipping to and fro rhythmically, willing her to join in. She watched passively, daring him to make bolder moves. Circles and nose dives were added to the mix, before finally she accepted his advances and began to dance along beside him. 

The pair of Flygon continued this way for quite a long time, and eventually Raihan found himself able to tear his eyes away from the display long enough to look at Piers, who was watching just as intently as he had been. He hadn’t expected Piers to go through all of this, especially not for him. Raihan wanted to say something, but found the words caught in his throat. What  _ could _ he say? ‘Thanks’ didn’t seem good enough, and he didn’t know of a way to repay Piers for the unique experience they were both witness to.

“Rai, look, they’re doin’ somethin’ different.”

Raihan’s attention snapped back to the dragons. Circling one another in a spiral pattern, they climbed higher and higher into the sky before locking claws together and tilting upside-down. Both Flygon tucked their wings against their bodies and let gravity take hold of them. It was a death spiral. Raihan had read about the extreme way Flygon mated, with them cartwheeling in a free-fall to the ground. To read it was one thing, but to watch it was…

“Incredible,” Raihan breathed out.

At the last possible moment, the Pokémon separated, their sonorous wing beats echoing along the canyon walls. The mating had been a joyous success, and the cries of both Flygon could be heard above the whistling wind.

Raihan couldn’t help but join in the celebration, whooping his congrats to his Pokémon enthusiastically. “You nabbed yourself a looker!” he called to her, running out to meet her and the male.

Piers cried out suddenly. “Raihan, don’t—!”

A low, bellowing rumble shook the ground. Underneath Raihan, the sand began to shift and churn like he was at sea, and it took effort for him to keep upright. He paled as a very large and  _ very _ menacing krookodile reared up from its nest. Raihan was too close to its eggs, and it didn't look happy about it.

“Run!” Piers called, already on his feet.

Raihan blanked. “But my Flygon!” He yelled back. He couldn’t expect his Pokémon to attack a brooding krookodile, but he wasn’t going to leave her to fend for herself, he couldn’t. 

He was surprised when he felt Piers’ hand grab at his own and began to pull him away.

“Forget the fuckin’ dragon an’  _ go _ ,” Piers shouted, not in a mood to argue. 

They got about ten feet before Piers sunk into the sand again, cursing. Raihan acted on adrenaline and impulse, lifting the other off the ground and throwing him over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry. He wasn’t in the mood to argue, either. Whatever Piers had to argue was lost beneath the roaring of the krookodile, and all that was said was “cave!” as Piers pointed to what was little more than a crevice.

It would have to do.

Dropping Piers and urging him to go in first when they were close enough to its mouth, Raihan scrambled into the nook far enough that the Pokémon couldn’t reach. There wasn’t much room between him and Piers, and Raihan felt both of their hearts hammering away as the claws of the crocodilian reached out to them.

“Fuck,” Piers uttered, heavy breaths against Raihan’s chest as he attempted to regain his composure. Raihan said nothing, only braced his arms against the opposite wall of the cleft, caging Piers and making himself a boundary between them and the krookodile.

Giving up the fight, the Pokémon gave a final roar of displeasure before stalking off, no longer finding the pair a threat to its babies. Raihan didn’t move even after the thud of footsteps diminished, and only the howl of wind remained. He wasn’t thinking about how they nearly died, though. His mind was somewhere else, and though he heard small complaints and grumblings about how they were free to go, move your arse you great bloody lummox, Raihan couldn’t pay attention to it.

The breath was knocked out of his lungs when Piers managed to headbutt him in the chest. Dazed, Raihan watched the other scuttle out from underneath him and back into the open.

“What are you waitin’ for? An invitation from the Champion?” Piers hassled, though he was all smiles. “C’mon, we’ve got to find your lovesick Flygon, don’t we?”

Raihan eventually peeled himself out of his position and back outside with Piers at his side. He must have looked foolish, because Piers nudged him in the arm and, still grinning, said, “Aw, c’mon. I didn’t hit ya  _ that _ hard, did I?”

Had Piers always been so attractive when he smiled?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long time no post hello! i didnt mean to stay away for so long. i've been fighting w/a dead dove i had in mind and eventually needed to just scrawl this out before i went mad. tbh this was supposed to be a turning point chapter but i did say its a slowburn now so its just the beginning of the journey for real into the idiots to lovers trope


	8. In the dark, we laugh together 'cause the misery's funny to you

Raihan gripped his Pokémon’s ball tight in his hand, still staring slack-jawed at it. After the initial celebration between him and Flygon, he had had a bigger problem on his hands than just ‘where to keep a clutch of trapinch eggs’.

* * *

“Flygon mate for life,” he had told Piers on their walk back to the mating grounds. With the display settled, the sandstorm had subsided to little more than a quiet breeze.

“Ah?” Piers replied, the look in his eyes suggesting he already knew that. “I s’pose you have to convince the bugger to join you back home.”

Raihan pursed his lips at the thought. “Dragons are pretty proud creatures—”

“—much like yourself,” Piers interjected, a smile wrinkling his features.

“—and,” Raihan continued, ignoring the tease, “it’ll take a _lot_ of convincing for him to come with me instead of me leaving her here.”

Piers went quiet. “Wasn’t thinkin’ about the after part of this,” he mumbled under his breath, “I owe you an apology.”

Raihan cast a sideways glance at Piers. The other had begun to play with the ring of his choker in guilt, and he frowned at the implication. “I’m not upset,” he offered to Piers, “and I think it’ll be a fun challenge.”

The ex-leader mouthed an “oh,” and left it at that.

* * *

As he turned the ball in his hand, Raihan’s expression puckered into deep concentration. He hardly moved when he felt a hand at his shoulder blade.

“Well...y’caught it,” Piers said through a nervous laugh. “Though that was hells easier than you made it seem.”

“Wasn’t expecting it,” he mumbled back, more to himself than anything. His Flygon— the female, he now had to differentiate— trilled and chuffed with a swelling mood. Raihan wondered to himself if she had convinced her mate to join them so willingly, or perhaps he had been lonely by himself for so long that he was love sick and starved of affection.

The hand on his back pressed fingertips into him before dropping completely, and Piers turned to stand in Raihan’s view. “I’ll be honest, I had more planned, but you seem a bit weak in the knees, mate. You wanna call it?”

Raihan blinked owlishly. “You planned more…?”

Piers laughed again, but with more confidence. “Shit, I said I’d wring out all my socialization with you, didn’t I?” His head canted to the side and he gave Raihan a look of pity. “I really don’t mind if we put this on pause. You seem like you’ve got somethin’ on your mind an’ I won’t hold you back if you have to work through it or sommat.”

Raihan shook his head immediately. “No! I- I mean no, it’s not that. I’m good.”

“Y’sure?”

“Maybe I’m finding parallels to my new partner.”

Piers opened his mouth to say something, but closed it after a moment of consideration. He didn’t say what was on his mind, only briefly leaning towards Raihan. He hesitated again, swallowing whatever he had been thinking and said, “Alright, a distraction, then? I really honestly had only one more thing on the agenda, this island ain’t much for tourism like the others. Thought you'd like it though.”

Raihan took the change in direction as a blessing, glad Piers didn’t seem to be the type to push. He quickly returned the roaming Flygon to her ball and pocketed both pokemon where they belonged. “Really? What would that be?” Piers shot him a _look_ , and Raihan chuckled. “Okay,” he conceded, “more secrets. Fine.”

“I promise it’s worth it,” Piers replied and reached out to grab Raihan by the sleeve. Raihan, out of instinct, flipped his hand upward and held Piers’ own. Piers’ brow furrowed but he didn’t say anything. The silence made Raihan flustered.

“I— wow, sorry. So used to exhibition matches I just went for a handshake,” Raihan stumbled, trying to wave off the awkwardness.

“...It’s fine,” Piers replied after a thoughtful moment, and squeezed Raihan’s fingers before gently leading him away.

* * *

Piers continued to surprise him.

Raihan had no words as they stood, side by side, at the mouth of the temple. Piers had called it the Lake of the Sunne. Or was it Moone? Piers had mentioned both in a single breath, and Raihan was caught up with how passionately Piers had been speaking about it.

“...I actually ended up writin’ a song about this place, but it ended up gettin’ scrapped halfway through ‘cuz I wasn’t happy. Never picked it back up, was thinkin’ I might later.”

“Because you used to live here?” Raihan guessed.

“Ah, so y’were payin’ attention,” Piers replied, nodding his confirmation right after. “I thought maybe I held enough sentiment to the region to sing about it. I don’t. Didnt?” He sounded unsure.

Raihan wanted to ask what he meant, but Piers dove right back in to explaining about the temple.

“There’s a sister monument, an altar, on Poni island,” he said as if reciting a long-memorized pamphlet, “but the temple here is for prayin’ to a deity. Or, was, I guess. Not much happens here anymore.”

“The Tapus?” Raihan guessed as he deviated off the path slightly to look at one of the few standing walls not crowded with moss. Crouching down, he marveled at the craftsmanship of the stone, and could barely make out etched celestial bodies in a fair amount of the brick. Despite the water that seeped through the cracks and trickled back down at a steady pace, the wall was firm and stood tall. Raihan was so enraptured by the work that he didn’t hear Piers walk up behind him.

“I knew you’d like this place,” he murmured, startling Raihan out of the academic daze. Raihan turned to Piers with a mixed expression.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were stalking me. First the flygon, then the temple. Oh! And that photogenic tea shop.” Raihan pointed a finger in mock accusation. “There’s a catch, isn’t there? Now I owe you my first born or something to that effect?” He chuckled at his own joke, but Piers didn’t join in.

“Nah, mate. I did it cuz I thought you’d like it,” Piers explained, and Raihan’s face dropped. “There’s no catch. But you’re welcome to pretend there is if it helps y’sleep at night.”

Raihan’s first instinct was to shake Piers for not catching the joke. His second was to apologize profusely.

“Aw, no, I didn’t mean it like that,” he started, standing up from his crouch to speak clearly with Piers. “I was making a joke, this was probably the most fun I’ve had in months and I really appreciate it, so the comment was more about how it’s a deal too good to be true and—“

Piers cut him off.

“You keep tryin’ to appeal to people when you don’t get a less than 100% enthused response,” he observed. “I wasn’t offended if that’s your reckonin’. I just...Thought you’d like to know this was sincere.”

* * *

The bus ride back was a quiet one as Raihan continued to reflect on Piers’ choice of words. He stared out the window absently, lost in his own thoughts. Only when a nudge from Piers’ shoulder pushed against his own did he notice the other.

“You think any harder and your brain’ll short circuit,” Piers joked, but his expression was nothing but soft concern. “What’s on your mind?”

“Why aren’t you with the rest of us?” Raihan asked. The question had Piers reach for his choker and fidget quietly.

He didn’t answer at first, and Raihan was going to ask the question again, but Piers ‘um’ed and Raihan let him find what he wanted to say.

“You all seem...happy,” he spoke with deliberate wording, face turned just enough that Raihan couldn’t see through the curtain of bangs he kept as a shield for his emotions. “An’ I didn’t want to ruin that with my attitude. Was half expectin’ you to turn my offer down, s’why I didn’t have more planned.”

“But you planned _something_ ,” Raihan pointed out and Piers brought the hand that was playing with the choker up to his face.

“So?”

Raihan didn’t have a rebuttal. Not one he wanted to say out loud, anyway, and he gave up with a sigh and leaned back into his seat. “How much further?” He asked, changing the subject. Piers dropped his hand a fraction to peek out at the scenery out the window.

“Almost back to Malie Garden,” he mumbled.

Raihan went back to staring outside, churning thoughts and ideas in his head. Piers had fun, he could tell, but this was all he was going to offer Raihan unless a plan could be made. He wanted to get to know Piers, _really_ know him; today had shown him a side of the man he really didn’t know existed.

So, naturally, he said the first idea that came to his mind.

“Battle me.”

“Wuh—what?” Piers’ face scrunched up in confusion and disbelief.

“Yeah,” Raihan said. “Battle me.”

“You daffy? I didn’t bring my Pokémon with me, and certainly no fool dragon of yours is gonna listen to my commands.” Piers frowned now, looking as if Raihan had grown an extra head or two. Raihan, in response, rolled his eyes.

“Well not right _now_ , obviously, but. Tomorrow?”

“I’m busy.”

“Next day.”

“Busy then, too.”

“Oh come on, Piers. Please? Don’t make me beg.” 

“Y’already are,” Piers said with more grin in his tone than Raihan liked.

“Fine, I’m begging,” Raihan conceded, “but remember when I said we should battle with no dynamax for the both of us? Totally even ground? This is the best place for it!”

Piers drummed his fingers against the armrest of the bus and cocked a brow in disbelief. “Do you not trust yourself?” He asked, trying to weasel out of the fight. Raihan wouldn’t let him this time.

“I do, I just think... This is without the pretense of the league. Just two blokes having a go at one another for the fun of it, no strings attached. What do you say to that? It’d be fun.”

The bus pulled into Malie city, and slowed to a stop near the gardens. The rest of the patrons shuffled off the vehicle, leaving a long-suffering Piers and a hopeful Raihan left. As he stood up to exit, Piers made a backwards glance to Raihan. 

“Fine. Tomorrow.”


End file.
